Thursday, December 9, 2010

The Chasm: A Journey to the Edge of Life-Randy Alcorn

The Chasm: A Journey to the Edge of LifeRandy AlcornMultnomah, Feb 8 2011, $14.99ISBN: 9781601423399

He entered a cave, but when he left it American businessman Nick Seagrave is bewildered because he doesn’t know where he is. In the distance he sees a glitter of light as he walks with other travelers on the Red Road. One of his caravan members elderly Shadrack mumbles Charis is the City of Lights on the other side of the Chasm. Malacki the African claims to hear music. Tired of his companions on the seemingly endless trek, Nick leaves with benign Joshua who promises to show him other roads where he can learn the truth.

On a Gray Road, Nick is stunned to see his wife and two kids who watch him cheat with another woman. Ashamed by his mistreatment of them, he finds his daughter swaying on stage disconcerting. On another Gray Road, he watches a battle between two armies. A bird grabs him and dumps Nick in the midst of the hostility. One of the Commanders slices off Nick’s arm and prepares to kill him, but he survives the hidden battle that has opened up his eyes. Nick now sees Joshua for what he really is and yearns to return to the Red Road so he can reach the Chasm hoping to cross over to the City of Lights on the other side.

The Chasm is ifficult to comprehend at first but is a well written parable as Nick seeks eternal truths. Much of what he learns about himself he does not like; he drifts away from the Red Road and fears never crossing the Chasm to the light beyond. A readers’ guide with questions for each chapter enables the audience to better understand the journey by encouraging readers to wear Nick’s shoes on a self discovery trek into our own souls. Complex yet in many ways simple; Randy Alcorn provides a terrific allegory of the journey of life.